Expert Advice | Dry + Dehydrated Skin

Your skin is your biggest organ and it has three main functions protection, regulation and sensation.

If your skin is dry, it tends to feel rough, tight and may even appear flaky. The first problem is to distinguish the difference between dehydrated and dry skin. Dry skin is a permanent skin type and it's likely that you will have experienced it's symptoms long term.

Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, lacks water and describes a condition which can happen at any time
to any skin types.

Symptoms of dehydrated skin include:

• Itchiness
• Sensitivity
• Dullness
• Fine lines and wrinkles

If you suffer from dry skin, you are likely to be genetically predisposed to having an under-active sebaceous gland. This means that your skin lacks the oil it needs to retain moisture and to build a protective barrier against the environment, all very necessary to keep skin looking healthy and hydrated.

Visual Signs
Dry skn type I is attributed to your genetic make-up. in other instances, dry skin can also be due to exposure to external factors such as the environment and lifestyle, in this case, its considered to be a skin condition.

• Internal Factors: The natural ageing process the sebaceous glands, that secrete oil to lubricate the skin, become
  less active. This is why your skin feels dry - your skin loses its elasticity which is why your skin feels tight
  
  
• External / Environmental Factors: A lack of water intake can lead to dehydrated skin, as well as overindulgence
  in alcohol and the regular use of certain medications. If the body lacks essential fatty acids, the skin can start to
  itch, dry out and feel scaly.
  
  
• Environmental stressors: Weather extremes paired with sun exposure results in your skin loosing moisture. This
  is why it feels tight. Cold winds and air from air conditioners also dry the skin out.

Treatment
Whether you have dry or dehydrated skin, bringing your skin back to being beautiful is relatively easy.

Normalise: First, replenish your skin's natural vitamin A levels. This is the first step and can be done through the topical application of vitamin A.

Focus: To target dryness and dehydration, you can add focused products and treatments to your skincare routine and give you more of what your skin needs, where it needs it most. We know that when it comes to life, there are no shortcuts. Your skin is no different. Your determination will be rewarded with beautiful, hydrated looking skin.